It used to be fringe idea that Columbus wasn’t really worthy of a holiday. But over the last ten or twenty years, a slow tide has been steadily rolling in. Colonialism’s gloss has rubbed away, humanity’s awareness has grown, and in some places we’ve seen the second Monday in October become Indigenous People’s Day.

This month at the Order of Seven Hills our external concentration is Sparring. And with that in mind, to help build up your lungs in case you have to fight and/or run for your life, I humbly introduce…

Escape Plan Drill: This one’s great to pull off on an outdoor track or a nice path through the woods. Set a round timer for 1:00 min. rounds with no breaks, or start a simple countdown timer to beep every 60 seconds (personally I’m a fan of the Timex Ironman watch). First round, shadowbox with as much speed and sincerity as you can muster. Second round, sprint around the track or down the trail as fast you possibly can — flat out. Third round, keep going with as much speed as you can muster, either walk, jog, run or (if you’re superhuman) keep on sprinting. Repeat that set four more times for a total of 15 minutes. Take as few 12-second breaks as possible to finish standing up.